I will try my hardest not to rant about the meaning of Christmas and how commercialized it has become and how desensitized we are to the real reason we celebrate, blah, blah, blah. I do, however, want to point out one thing that has already ruffled my feathers this ehem…”Holiday Season”.
Every morning I walk 2 blocks from my parking garage to my office (ok…smarty pants…my cube. I was using “office” as a euphemism for “place of work”. But nooooo…you had to rub it in that after 6 years I am still in a cube!!). Anyways, I pass by the world famous Neiman Marcus each day, specifically, I pass by their large glass storefront displays. Neiman’s takes a lot of pride in their Christmas displays and their Christmas catalog. Even if you haven’t seen their storefront, you are certainly familiar with their Christmas catalogue…you know the one, with the $1MM submarine for sale or some such other extravagant item on that special someone’s wish list. Well, last week they had their grand unveiling of their Christmas displays. The best I can tell, this year’s theme is “gold”. All the manikins were wearing gold, driving a gold moped, and eating gold (ok - maybe not eating gold). And now here comes the ruffled feathers - front and center in the middle of the store, in front of a massive window is a giant 25 foot tall Christmas tree. Covering this beautiful tree (fake - no doubt - so as not to harm a real living tree) is wads and wads of….cash! That’s it! - A massive Christmas tree with no lights, no ornaments…just oversized $100 bills for decoration.
Spare me. I know the Christmas tree is a pagan symbol and has nothing to do with the actual birth of Christ. But just because the wise men didn’t bring pine trees doesn’t mean that it is a meaningless symbol. I know Nieman’s is in business to make money. They make money by selling high priced items. But couldn’t they just spare the Christmas tree and not bastardize it like they and others have done to the rest of Christmas? Wasn’t it enough that the nativity scene is no longer welcome in public and Christmas has been replaced by “Holiday”? Why did they have to go ahead and decorate the Christmas tree with nothing but cash? This is depressing. I have to fight that much harder to make sure my children know the meaning of Christmas. They sure as heck aren’t going to learn about it in school, or see any representation of it in the stores, or at the town square.
Here is another sign that the end is near – Chicago has banned the “Nativity Story” ads during their Christmas festival. Lord...forgive them for they know not what they do.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Higher Minimum Wage - Bad Idea
Here is a real-world example of what happens when government tries to interfere in business (from the Economist.com):
Referring to the riots in Tonga: “Agitation by civil servants forced the government to raise public-sector pay by a massive 60-80% last year. But this placed unsustainable pressure on the government's finances, eventually requiring the administration to counter the pay rise by cutting the number of civil-service jobs.”
When you force wages to go higher than the market dictates this is what you get – higher unemployment. Why is this such a difficult concept to understand?
When you include tip income, less than 1.1% of all workers earn the minimum wage or below. Without tip income, it increases slightly to about 1.5%. Those earning only the minimum wage tend to be young. According to the Department of Labor, 53% of those minimum wage earners are between the age of 16 and 24. The picture of the typical minimum wage earner is something like this: white, female, working part-time, family earns about twice that of the poverty line. But to hear the Democrats tell it, raising the minimum wage will wipe out poverty or some such – ridiculous!
Referring to the riots in Tonga: “Agitation by civil servants forced the government to raise public-sector pay by a massive 60-80% last year. But this placed unsustainable pressure on the government's finances, eventually requiring the administration to counter the pay rise by cutting the number of civil-service jobs.”
When you force wages to go higher than the market dictates this is what you get – higher unemployment. Why is this such a difficult concept to understand?
When you include tip income, less than 1.1% of all workers earn the minimum wage or below. Without tip income, it increases slightly to about 1.5%. Those earning only the minimum wage tend to be young. According to the Department of Labor, 53% of those minimum wage earners are between the age of 16 and 24. The picture of the typical minimum wage earner is something like this: white, female, working part-time, family earns about twice that of the poverty line. But to hear the Democrats tell it, raising the minimum wage will wipe out poverty or some such – ridiculous!
Friday, November 10, 2006
Which Way?
I am in the midst of making a life changing decision, one that will alter my work life, my friendships, my family, everything. I wish I could tell you what it is, but I can’t. The decision isn’t really mine to make – yet. But all signs are leading to that point. I ask that you keep me in my family in your prayers and ask God to continue to give me guidance.
How about this analogy: Do you remember when you were younger and you wanted to be somebody really bad? Perhaps you wanted to be a super hero, but as you got older you realized that there were not any super heroes - just mere mortals. But then, what if when you were older you find out that yes, there are super heroes and the super hero department found out you wanted to join them and they are considered you for their team. Unfortunately though, they tell you that the super heroes don’t really work and live where you live, and they don’t really get paid much, and they don’t get to tell anyone that they are really Clark Kent. What would you do? Well, I choose to pray. I pray that even though I may want to be a super hero, God may have a different plan for my life. And even though lots of people want to be super heroes and that the fact that the super hero department only calls on a select few…just because you get that call doesn’t mean that is the right choice for me, or you or anyone. That is where divine guidance comes in. So I ask that those of you who read this blog, and who are the praying types, please ask God to show me the way. Does “the way” lead to a cape, a web, and a mask or does it lead somewhere else?
Oh yeah…while your at it. Ask God to show the Republicans in Congress the error of their ways so that we can take back the House and Senate in 2008.
How about this analogy: Do you remember when you were younger and you wanted to be somebody really bad? Perhaps you wanted to be a super hero, but as you got older you realized that there were not any super heroes - just mere mortals. But then, what if when you were older you find out that yes, there are super heroes and the super hero department found out you wanted to join them and they are considered you for their team. Unfortunately though, they tell you that the super heroes don’t really work and live where you live, and they don’t really get paid much, and they don’t get to tell anyone that they are really Clark Kent. What would you do? Well, I choose to pray. I pray that even though I may want to be a super hero, God may have a different plan for my life. And even though lots of people want to be super heroes and that the fact that the super hero department only calls on a select few…just because you get that call doesn’t mean that is the right choice for me, or you or anyone. That is where divine guidance comes in. So I ask that those of you who read this blog, and who are the praying types, please ask God to show me the way. Does “the way” lead to a cape, a web, and a mask or does it lead somewhere else?
Oh yeah…while your at it. Ask God to show the Republicans in Congress the error of their ways so that we can take back the House and Senate in 2008.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
"..not a war to win.."
This just in from the new Speaker of House, “It’s not a war to win, it’s a situation to be solved.” - Pelosi
The video here. From Hot Air / Michelle Malkin
As one soldier responded upon hearing this statement, “My M1 Abrams has a lot of problem solving skills.”
Ladies and gentleman – you who voted to “send the Republicans a message”, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS when you hand the defense and security of this nation over to liberals like Pelosi! Where is the trash can…I am about to be sick!
The video here. From Hot Air / Michelle Malkin
As one soldier responded upon hearing this statement, “My M1 Abrams has a lot of problem solving skills.”
Ladies and gentleman – you who voted to “send the Republicans a message”, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS when you hand the defense and security of this nation over to liberals like Pelosi! Where is the trash can…I am about to be sick!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Rummy out
So Rumsfeld is gone. The timing of this is terrible! He should have stepped down two weeks ago and given those Republicans who are pro-war but against the way it has been prosecuted a reason to vote, or a reason not to switch parties (as if there was a real reason to switch parties in the first place). This really ticks me off now that I think about it. I know why he left today. It has nothing to do with his ability or lack of to handle the war effort. It has to do with the Dems owning both houses and him knowing that his coming days were going to be filled with witch hunts, subpoenas and all manner of liberal bashing. And given that, his ability to lead would be seriously damaged. But come on! The writing has been on the wall for a month now (regarding Dem takeover). If he wasn’t going to tough it out he should have stepped aside earlier! And now we get an Aggie running the show! Let the jokes begin. In all seriousness though, I think Gates may do well. He gets mixed reviews for his time at CIA, but he is fresh in a sense that he has been away from Washington for a while. Maybe that’s good, maybe not.
Just another day
I woke up this morning the same way I always do…to my son’s pointy elbow planted squarely in the small of my back (note: the fact that my four year old still sleeps in our bed is a topic for another day – feedback on getting him to his own bed greatly appreciated though). Despite the loss of the House and likely the Senate the world still goes ‘round. I will need to start planning though for the Democratic agenda.
First thing I will do is increase my savings rate this next year to cover the increase in taxes that will take effect when the Democrats raise them by expiring the Bush tax cuts. Oh…you didn’t know they were going to do that? Interesting that remarks by Charlie Rangle were not widely publicized when he said that there is not one of the Bush tax cuts that will continue when he becomes Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. So, that’s first – save for the higher taxes I get to pay.
Second thing I will do is purchase stock in the major agriculture corporations. As disappointed as conservatives have been about the Republican efforts to control the border, the Democrats will do even less. Most Democrats have voted against every major border security bill this past year. They are in favor of near blanket amnesty and the liberal wing of the party (redundant) is in favor of an open border policy. So who benefits? The big business types who live off the below market wages paid to the millions of illegal’s crossing our border. I might as well hedge my bets and ride the corporate profits on up. I will need those extra dividends to cover the increasing cost of medical care, education, etc that results from the burden that illegal immigrants place on the system.
The third thing I will do is pray. I will pray that the liberal leadership will not carry through with their cut and run strategy in Iraq. I will pray that they do not stop funding the war effort like they did in Vietnam. I pray that they do not force our troops to come home with their tale between their legs like they did in Vietnam and more recently in Somalia. UBL knows this is our history. He has called our military a “paper tiger” based on the Somalia “Black Hawk Down” conflict. An early withdrawal will be another piece of reinforcing evidence to this idea. The Democrats are controlled by the Kennedy, Kerry, Murtha, Pelosi, Schumer, Durbin wing (I could list about 50 more) who see no problem with leaving the Iraq people to fend for themselves against anti-democracy forces. Forces who think nothing of stoning women for being raped; who execute those who are Christian, who don’t allow women to be educated, much less drive a car. Forces who have not only vowed destruction to America, but to anyone who dares question their extremist religious views. This is no longer about whether or not we should have gone to war in Iraq. We are there now. It is about winning. It is about doing what is right – now. Do I have confidence that the Democrats will honor our commitment to Iraq and to our troops? No, not really. They bath mouth our soldiers and equate them to Nazi (Durbin), terrorist (Kerry), and “managers or rape rooms” (Kennedy). Why should they be trusted with our military?
Conservatives didn’t lose the elections last night – Republicans did. Republicans have two years to decide if they are going to come back to the party of Ronald Reagan or if they are going to be nothing more than democrats who happen to be strong on defense.
I have plenty more to say, especially concerning the voters who were anti-abortion prior to election night and miraculously decided to all the sudden become pro-abortion. More later…but life goes on.
First thing I will do is increase my savings rate this next year to cover the increase in taxes that will take effect when the Democrats raise them by expiring the Bush tax cuts. Oh…you didn’t know they were going to do that? Interesting that remarks by Charlie Rangle were not widely publicized when he said that there is not one of the Bush tax cuts that will continue when he becomes Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. So, that’s first – save for the higher taxes I get to pay.
Second thing I will do is purchase stock in the major agriculture corporations. As disappointed as conservatives have been about the Republican efforts to control the border, the Democrats will do even less. Most Democrats have voted against every major border security bill this past year. They are in favor of near blanket amnesty and the liberal wing of the party (redundant) is in favor of an open border policy. So who benefits? The big business types who live off the below market wages paid to the millions of illegal’s crossing our border. I might as well hedge my bets and ride the corporate profits on up. I will need those extra dividends to cover the increasing cost of medical care, education, etc that results from the burden that illegal immigrants place on the system.
The third thing I will do is pray. I will pray that the liberal leadership will not carry through with their cut and run strategy in Iraq. I will pray that they do not stop funding the war effort like they did in Vietnam. I pray that they do not force our troops to come home with their tale between their legs like they did in Vietnam and more recently in Somalia. UBL knows this is our history. He has called our military a “paper tiger” based on the Somalia “Black Hawk Down” conflict. An early withdrawal will be another piece of reinforcing evidence to this idea. The Democrats are controlled by the Kennedy, Kerry, Murtha, Pelosi, Schumer, Durbin wing (I could list about 50 more) who see no problem with leaving the Iraq people to fend for themselves against anti-democracy forces. Forces who think nothing of stoning women for being raped; who execute those who are Christian, who don’t allow women to be educated, much less drive a car. Forces who have not only vowed destruction to America, but to anyone who dares question their extremist religious views. This is no longer about whether or not we should have gone to war in Iraq. We are there now. It is about winning. It is about doing what is right – now. Do I have confidence that the Democrats will honor our commitment to Iraq and to our troops? No, not really. They bath mouth our soldiers and equate them to Nazi (Durbin), terrorist (Kerry), and “managers or rape rooms” (Kennedy). Why should they be trusted with our military?
Conservatives didn’t lose the elections last night – Republicans did. Republicans have two years to decide if they are going to come back to the party of Ronald Reagan or if they are going to be nothing more than democrats who happen to be strong on defense.
I have plenty more to say, especially concerning the voters who were anti-abortion prior to election night and miraculously decided to all the sudden become pro-abortion. More later…but life goes on.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
I'm awake now
I have been awoken from my blogging slumber by the sound of disrespect for America’s finest. My last post was around two months ago. My hiatus was brought on by a combination of burn-out, busy work schedule, and a shift in my interests from politics to foreign policy. I have spent the last several months engrossed in foreign policy study and am quite certain that out of the four people who read this blog, only maybe one is interest in foreign policy – so why bother. But, I suppose the real reason for this blog is not for others, but for me to hone my writing skills; so in that regard, I suppose I have let myself down? Not that this is a political blog either as I have posted other light-hearted things as well…..I digress.
So what was the alarm clock that ended the hibernation? I wouldn’t do it justice if I paraphrased it, so here it is in its unedited form:
“You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.” – John F. Kerry, (D) Massachusetts
And that ladies and gentleman, is the “October Surprise”, coming on the last day of October to be precise.
The delusional Senator from Mass. was speaking to a group of college students in California as part of a campaign boost to the Democratic candidate for California Governor. According to a reporter who was there, upon making this elitist statement, some laughed while others gasped. Folks, when a room full of liberal Democrats “gasp”, you know that statement must be bad. Of course, Kerry goes on the offensive after being called on the carpet for this saying that he was really trying to insult the President and not the troops. He said it was a “botched joke”. I recall that the President had a slightly better GPA at Yale than did Kerry and also has an MBA from Harvard. How was Kerry attempting to discredit the President’s education? He wasn’t. His disdain for the military came through yet again. As if his 1970’s anti-American, anti-soldier statements were not enough. As if his 2005 Meet The Press statements referring to our soldiers in Iraq as terrorists wasn’t enough – he opens his mouth once again and defames those in our all volunteer, highly educated armed forces.
Currently, 99.9% of enlisted forces have a high school education, 49.2% have advanced or professional degrees, 39.4% have masters and 1.3% have doctorates. All of this is lost on Kerry and other Democrats who want to portray our armed service as a place of last resort for those with no other options. Watch me as I reach into my back pocket and pull out the B.S flag and throw it onto the field!
Congratulations Democrats. You just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory – or so it seems.
Now its time for me to hit snooze and get back to more important things. You can count on one thing though, and that is I am guaranteed to write something on November 8th – one way or another. Til then…..
So what was the alarm clock that ended the hibernation? I wouldn’t do it justice if I paraphrased it, so here it is in its unedited form:
“You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.” – John F. Kerry, (D) Massachusetts
And that ladies and gentleman, is the “October Surprise”, coming on the last day of October to be precise.
The delusional Senator from Mass. was speaking to a group of college students in California as part of a campaign boost to the Democratic candidate for California Governor. According to a reporter who was there, upon making this elitist statement, some laughed while others gasped. Folks, when a room full of liberal Democrats “gasp”, you know that statement must be bad. Of course, Kerry goes on the offensive after being called on the carpet for this saying that he was really trying to insult the President and not the troops. He said it was a “botched joke”. I recall that the President had a slightly better GPA at Yale than did Kerry and also has an MBA from Harvard. How was Kerry attempting to discredit the President’s education? He wasn’t. His disdain for the military came through yet again. As if his 1970’s anti-American, anti-soldier statements were not enough. As if his 2005 Meet The Press statements referring to our soldiers in Iraq as terrorists wasn’t enough – he opens his mouth once again and defames those in our all volunteer, highly educated armed forces.
Currently, 99.9% of enlisted forces have a high school education, 49.2% have advanced or professional degrees, 39.4% have masters and 1.3% have doctorates. All of this is lost on Kerry and other Democrats who want to portray our armed service as a place of last resort for those with no other options. Watch me as I reach into my back pocket and pull out the B.S flag and throw it onto the field!
Congratulations Democrats. You just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory – or so it seems.
Now its time for me to hit snooze and get back to more important things. You can count on one thing though, and that is I am guaranteed to write something on November 8th – one way or another. Til then…..
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